Torrential rains overnight on May 28–29 unleashed a catastrophic flash flood in Mokwa, a town in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State. Waters surged rapidly in just a few hours, submerging homes and sweeping away entire neighborhoods. As of 2 June, over 200 people have been confirmed dead, 121 are injured, about 500 are missing and over 3,000 have been displaced.
The floods washed away hundreds of farms and destroyed dwellings and key road infrastructure, including the Mokwa Bridge, a vital link on the Abuja–Ilorin highway, disrupting supply routes.
Niger State’s emergency acting chief, Ibrahim Audu Husseini of NSEMA, emphasized that the disaster had been triggered by unusually intense rainfall not dam releases, and commented that Mokwa had never previously been prone to flooding.
In Tifin Maza, 36-year-old Adamu Yusuf awoke to screaming, water rising above his bed, and his wife and newborn baby being swept away in the torrent.
High school student, Isa Muhammed, described how his teacher and eight relatives were swept away when a house collapsed. Two bodies have since been found, including his teacher’s baby.
Responding to reports that affected residents had received no help, Husseini clarified that activities in the first few days had been focused on saving lives, with dead bodies being recovered hourly, and this had delayed relief materials that eventually arrived on 31 May, when distribution began after thorough profiling.
With more rain expected, communities and survivors are terrified of what may emerge as the waters recede.
Experts state that Mokwa’s tragedy is part of a broader regional and global trend. Nigeria’s official climate forecasters had warned of heavy storms in late May. Climate change has intensified these events as rising temperatures allow the atmosphere to hold more moisture, resulting in intense downpours.
A 2022 report by the World Economic Forum warned that deforestation, the removal of wetlands, and poor urban planning have made parts of Nigeria more susceptible to flooding.
Nigeria’s deluge follows a recent trend of catastrophic floods. In 2022 (one of the country’s worst flood seasons) over 600 people died and 1.3 million were displaced nationwide. State archives show Niger floods strike almost annually and climate scientists warn this is no accident, it is what a warming world produces.
